Histiaeus of Miletus
Histiaeus of Miletus was a prominent figure in ancient Greek history, particularly known for his involvement in the Ionian Revolt against Persian rule from 499 to 494 BCE. The son of Lysagoras, he is characterized by the Greek historian Herodotus as a somewhat controversial leader whose actions significantly influenced the course of the revolt. Initially aligned with Persian King Darius the Great, Histiaeus played a critical role in a military campaign by saving the king's bridge during the Scythian expedition. However, his relationship with Darius soured, leading to his detention in Susa.
In a strategic move, Histiaeus directed his son-in-law Aristagoras to instigate the revolt, promising to help suppress it. Despite his intentions, the revolt gained momentum, and under the leadership of other Ionians, it spread across the region, gaining support from cities like Athens and Eretria. Histiaeus's later actions, including piracy and plundering after the revolt's failure, culminated in his execution. The Ionian Revolt, though ultimately unsuccessful, had lasting implications, fostering a sense of unity among the Ionians and inspiring subsequent Greek cultural expressions, including tragedy. Histiaeus's legacy remains complex, embodying both ambition and conflict in the struggle for autonomy against Persian dominance.
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Histiaeus of Miletus
Related civilization: Persia
Major role/position: Tyrant of Miletus
Life
The Greek historian Herodotus portrayed Histiaeus (hihs-tuh-EE-uhs) of Miletus, the son of Lysagoras, as the selfish, slavish instigator of his kinsman Aristagoras’s failed Ionian Revolt of 499-494 b.c.e.
During Persian king Darius the Great’s Scythian expedition (c. 513 b.c.e.), Histiaeus saved the king by convincing other tyrants not to destroy a bridge the king needed on his return trip. A grateful Darius gave him Thracian Myrcinus on the Strymon River but grew distrustful and summoned him to Susa, where he became a virtual prisoner. Deterred and detained, Histiaeus fooled Darius into restoring him to the coast by first ordering his son-in-law Aristagoras, Miletus’s new ruler, to revolt and then promising Darius that he could subdue the rebels.
Histiaeus headed for the coast but instead of joining in the decisive sea battle at Lade, in which the Greek forces were destroyed, he pirated merchant ships at Byzantium. After the revolt was over, he plundered the coast and mainland until Harpagus and Artaphernes impaled and beheaded him.
Influence
Despite Histiaeus’s efforts to stop it, the Ionian Revolt spread from Cyprus to the Black Sea and lasted for six years. It won help from Athens, Eretria, and the Persians themselves. The rebels burned Sardis, produced their own coinage, and created a “commonwealth” of Ionians. They also seized control of Black Sea shipping, deposed tyrants, and reformed Ionian governance after the war. This revolt inspired a Greek tragedy by Phrynichus. Histiaeus may have tried to build his own Greco-Persian western empire on Lydia, Caria, and the Hellespont with all the great islands.
Bibliography
Burn, A. R. Persia and the Greeks: The Defense of the West, 546-478 b.c. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1984.
Huxley, G. L. The Early Ionians. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1972.